Blessing Day

On Sunday, June 29th, Dayton was blessed by his dad. Dayton was wide eyed and happy during the blessing and looked like a little angel in his white suit and blanket crocheted by Great-Grandma Lange. It was a wonderful day and a great experience. We are so blessed to have Dayton as our very own.

Our good friends, Sam, Anne, Savannah, and Charolette Woods, drove in from Columbus, Ohio for the special occasion. We hit the Buffalo hot spots, including Niagara Falls and the Anchor Bar.

What else have we been up to? Well, Ben started his new job at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He will be working in the ICU there during school. In his spare time, he's been training for a half ironman. He's so dedicated and motivated. August 9th is the day! We've been enjoying the summer and days at the beach- here the beaches are on the niagara river and the great lakes. Dayton loves being outside which is a good thing, because if he didn't he would probably be a very unhappy baby!

Now, what I do in my spare time? Well, I try to catch Dayton's smiles on camera. This sounds like an easy task, but I think he has it all planned. Smile, grin, giggle . . . I run and get the camera and turn it on. . . whimper, grunt, cry. Defeated, I turn the camera off . . . smile, grin, giggle. Smart little guy. One of these days I will outsmart him, but until then, here are his almost-caught-on-camera smiles.

Weigh in time

Today was Dayton's 4 week doctor visit-- something us new parents have been looking forward to. His official numbers were 8 lbs 8 oz and 21 inches, an increase of 2.5 lbs and 2 inches. He actually almost fits in his car seat and newborn onesies now!

Dayton also met his first girlfriend-- Brielle Bennion-- born 13 days after him. Don't let his face fool you-- it was love at first sight!

Okay, he might not like girls yet but he loved BBQing and hanging out with the boys!

Now, for the milestones: he can roll onto his side,

And, he made it through his first tear-free bath today

(sorry, I was having problems turning the pic)

And, I'm convinced he smiled-- on purpose-- for the first time yesterday. His whole face lit up and he smiled three times in a row. It had to have been intentional, right? :)

Now, for something totally unrelated to the baby. We were shopping at Target on Monday when we heard banging on the roof. Customers started running to the front of the store and when we made our way to the window this is what we saw:

A hail storm with some ice chunks as big as golf balls. It was amazing! However, the ice pellets did manage to leave a lasting impression on our car, as well as all the other cars in the parking lot. Buffalo weather-- never to be underestimated!

Look what I can do!

Today is Dayton's 11th day birthday! It's going by so fast already. I was warned that once I had a baby, my blog would become a baby shrine, so, as to not disappoint, welcome to the Dayton King shrine!

Dayton has hit some major milestones this past week . . .

He's mastered the full face yawn

And can lift both hands straight above his head.

And don't forget the favorite superman stretch when he wakes up!

Look how big I look in my carseat

I love to sleep on my dad every morning

Ben can't wait till he can ride bikes with him

First stroller ride at Lincoln Park with Aunt Ellie

And finally, he can lift his head and bask in the sun at the same time!

Now, for the question . . . does he look like Ben? Who's who?

Our little man is growing well, eating well, sleeping well . . . he's such a good baby and if he wasn't, well, he's so dang cute! Thank you all for your friendship and support and we can't wait for you all to meet him.

Our Little Angel

He's finally here- Dayton Benjamin King, born May 17th at 11:08 am measuring in at 6 lbs, 19 1/2 inches. His birth was an amazing experience that we will never forget.

Check out these muscles! His dad is very proud!

Grandma and Grandpa Clingo arrived in time to greet their first grandson.

Dayton is such a calm baby. He was pink at birth and the only time we have heard him cry is when he is cold. His eyes are blue- for now- and his hair is thick and dark.

Maybe we're a little biased, but the shirt (which he will grow into) says it all!

He met the outside world today, May 19th, and came home. He fit right in at the home that's been so eargerly waiting for him.

Dayton loves his crib and especially the bedding (big thanks to the SICU nurses at BGH!)

In his first 4 hours at home, we managed to soil 3 outfits, 2 blankets, mom's outfit and, of course, 3 diapers. He's adapting to his new world very well!

We are so blessed to have such a healthy and perfect baby in our care and are so grateful for all the love and support we have received with his arrival. We welcome our little angel, Dayton Benjamin King, to our family!